Multifocal intraocular or contact lenses, i.e. lenses with a plurality of focal points, which may for example be used for near and distance vision (bifocal) or near, intermediate and distance vision (trifocal), have been known for several decades and use a very wide range of diffractive structures on a refractive basic lens, in order to provide one or more diffractive focal points in addition to the refractive focal point.
According to documents DE 20 2009 018 881 U1 and EP 2 503 962 B1, two diffractive structures each of kinoform profile are overlapped. One of the two diffractive structures here has a first order focal point, which coincides with the second order focal point. The applicant has recognised that calculating such structures is extremely complicated. In addition, incorporating such structures into the lens leads to a plurality of profile peaks which are difficult to manufacture, resulting in turn in suboptimal distribution or light yield of the light intensities in the focal points produced. A multifocal intraocular or contact lens according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from document US-A-2011/0267693. The object of the invention is to provide an improved lens which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.